KNUT, KUPPET Demands Sh.100 Billion For Teachers Promotion and Remuneration Harmonisation.
Teachers have demanded Sh100 billion from the government of President William Ruto to advance tutors who have stagnated in one job group for an extended period and to harmonize remuneration.
The declaration was made at the Annual Delegates Conference of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) in Kisumu on Wednesday.
Knut and the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) also demands an address of several government-related concerns.
Among the difficulties are the promotions of over 10,000 teachers, according to union leaders, who have stagnated stagnantly over the years, and the upgrading of tutors who have obtained better qualifications.
In 2014, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) stopped the advancement of teachers with advanced degrees.
The largest demand, however, is the appeal by the two unions for the government to allocate Sh100 billion to enhance working conditions for nearly 300,000 teachers.
Collins Oyuu of Knut and Akello Misori of Kuppet stated that all three previous regimes had provided teachers something to take home and urged the Kenya Kwanza government to do its share.
According to the unions, in 1997, President Daniel Moi awarded teachers a 150-200 percent salary increase that was implemented in 16 years through legal notice number 534.
In 2003, the unions asserted that President Mwai Kibaki granted teachers sh17 billion, which was used to align the pay of teachers with those of other government cadres.
And in 2016/17, Knut and Kuppet said that President Uhuru Kenyatta provided teachers Sh54 billion, resulting in the substantive appointment of all administrative teachers, according to Knut and Kuppet.
“We now need Sh100 billion to make sure everything is ok. This will ensure that the yawning pay disparity between classroom teachers and administrators if addressed,” said Akello Misori, Kuppet Secretary General.
Misori, speaking at the Knut meeting, stated, “This money shall also address the issue of stagnation where many teachers have remained in one group for many years and improve terms and condition for all teachers.”
However, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Mochogu dismissed the new objectives as impractical.
In a speech read on his behalf by Nelson Sifuna, the Regional Education Officer for Nyanza, Machogu advised teachers to remember that the nation’s economy is in desperate difficulties.
Machogu stated, "“I call upon your leaders to be realistic in reading the signs of the day, consult widely and ensure that all deliberations have the learners’ interests at heart, I’m sure we will reach an agreement and move on as a country,” Machogu said.
The CS stated that teachers should consult widely and keep the interests of their students in mind when deliberating.
However, Misori stated that the government pledged to enhance teachers’ conditions.
“This government during campaigns said that in addition to hiring more teachers, they will pay us well. We now need the money to improve teachers’ terms of conditions,” said Misori.
Oyuu said: “We have reached our irreducible minimum and our issues must be addressed.”
The leadership of the two unions collaborated to release the bombshell just days before the end of the calendar year.
“This government during campaigns said that in addition to hiring more teachers, they will pay us well. We now need the money to improve teachers’ terms of conditions,” said Misori.
According to Oyuu, the promotion policy, which is an extract of the 2017-2021 CBA and enshrined in the Career Progression Guideline (CPG), switched from the three schemes of service to a performance-based promotion and Appraisal mode.
“This policy has disadvantaged many of our teachers who have acquired higher education qualifications. We have recommended to the presidential working party that the CPG should be reviewed to capture promotions upon attainment of higher qualifications, merit and experience. The employer can also use this opportunity to place teachers to teach Grades 7-9 in the implementation of CBC,” Oyuu said.
Misori stated that, per labor practice and the Employment Act, no one is permitted to act for six months.
“You must give us these promotions. And we shall not take it lightly. We are not going to take it lying low that education matters are taken lightly,” Misori said.
Oyuu further stated that the union will advocate for a 60 percent salary hike, which would raise the salary of the lowest-paid teacher (job group B5) from Sh27,195 to Sh43,513.
If implemented, the salaries of the highest-paid teachers (occupational group D5) will increase from Sh157,656 to Sh252,249.
Oyuu said Unions in the public sector signed a cashless CBA in July 2021 in response to advise from the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) for non-monetary CBAs owing to the consequences of Covid-19 on the nation’s economy.
“Due to this fact we have made a demand for a 60 per cent salary increment across the board,” Oyuu said.
In order to forward their objective, the two union executives stated that they had begun teachers to consolidate all teacher unions into a single confederation.
KNUT, KUPPET Demands Sh.100 Billion For Teachers Promotion and Remuneration Harmonisation.